Pope Leo appeals for Iran, Israel to act with ‘reason’

Pope Leo appeals for authorities in Iran and Israel to act with “reason,” and calls on the nations to pursue dialogue.

Leo, in one of the strongest peace appeals yet of his five-week papacy, tells an audience in St. Peter’s Basilica he is following the situation with “great concern.”

“In such a delicate moment, I strongly wish to renew an appeal to responsibility and to reason,” says the pope.

“The commitment to building a safer world free from the nuclear threat must be pursued through respectful encounters and sincere dialogue to build a lasting peace, founded on justice, fraternity, and the common good,” he says.

“No one should ever threaten the existence of another,” says Leo. “It is the duty of all countries to support the cause of peace, initiating paths of reconciliation and promoting solutions that guarantee security and dignity for all.”